Neighbors' target practice puts two Bibb schools in lockdown

The sound of gunshots that briefly locked down two Bibb County schools Tuesday apparently came from neighbors shooting at targets in their yard, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, just before school dismissed, both Howard High School and Howard Middle School on Forsyth Road went into a code red lockdown, meaning students were confined to their classrooms because of a safety threat.

A teacher who was outside the school heard gunshots and reported it to school administrators.

The school was in lockdown for about 20 minutes, causing a slight dismissal delay.

According to Bibb County sheriff’s Chief Deputy David Davis, the source of the gunshots came from neighbors on Old Forsyth Road who were target practicing.

“Some relatives were visiting from Florida and they were firing a 9 mm and 20 gauge shotgun,” Davis said. “If it would have been on a Saturday or after school there wouldn’t be a problem. They just weren’t thinking.”

It’s not against the law to practice shooting at a target on your property and the home was not considered in the Howard school zone, he said.

But in light of school security and recent reports of students bringing guns on school grounds, it was an oversight on the part of the neighbors.